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Title: The best new computers to replace your old Windows 10 PC

Link: https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-best-n...

With Microsoft officially ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, anyone
with an older PC is faced with a dilemma. Sure, you can kick the can down the
road by signing up for the free 12-month Extended Security Updates. But even
if your computer meets the minimum system requirements for a free Windows 11
upgrade, anything older than a year won't be able to take advantage of
Microsoft's Copilot+ AI PC features, like Windows Recall or Studio Effects
for video chats. So if you've already been feeling that your current aging PC
is on the verge of dying ΓÇö slow performance, whining fans, batteries that
barely keep a charge ΓÇö it's probably time to consider replacing it with a
new system.

We've already done the legwork of researching and selecting new hardware in
our best laptop and best Windows notebook guides (we've also covered more
powerful gaming and schoolwork systems), but here are some suggestions if
you're just looking to snap up something quickly.

The best Windows 10 laptop replacements Surface Laptop 13.8-inch

In many ways, the Snapdragon-powered Surface Laptop is emblematic of where
Windows PCs are headed. It's incredibly light, surprisingly powerful for
something with a mobile chip and its battery lasted over 17-and-a-half hours
in our testing. While you may run into some compatibility issues if you're
running ancient Windows programs, for most people the Surface Laptop is one
of the best PC experiences they can have today. If you're looking for
something smaller and cheaper, there's also a $700 13-inch model, and the
$1,200 15-inch version is worth it if you need a bigger screen. (Check out
our full review of the Surface Laptop 13.8-inch.)

Dell 14 Premium laptop Sam Rutherford for Engadget Dell 14 Premium

We loved last year's XPS 14, and now that itΓÇÖs been renamed as the Dell 14
Premium, itΓÇÖs still a fantastic machine. It looks and feels luxurious, and
it has one of the best screens around. You may just need some time getting
used to its invisible trackpad (which is blended into the palm rest), and its
capacitive function key row. (Check out our full EditorΓÇÖs Choice review of
the Dell 14 Premium.)

ASUS ZenBook S 14

The ZenBook S14 wowed us with its powerful hardware, excellent battery life
(of over 16 hours) and solid construction. It's a sign of how far ASUS has
come from simply copying Apple. The S14 is also lighter than the MacBook Air,
and it includes more useful ports (two USB-C, one USB-A, HDMI and a headphone
jack). Its Ceraluminum case (a unique ceramic material) also feels
surprisingly polished, and its OLED screen looks simply amazing. (Check out
our full review of the ASUS ZenBook S 14.)

Apple MacBook Air

Don't yell at me ΓÇö Apple's new computers are so good that Windows users
should seriously consider jumping ship to Macs. While the software may take
some getting used to, it's worth the struggle for the speed and incredible
battery life from Apple's M-series chips. The MacBook Air remains one of the
best computers around, with an incredibly thin and fan-less case and far more
power than you'd think. And if you're an iPhone user, you'll also have access
to features like phone mirroring that are tough to replicate on Windows.
(Check out our full review of the M4 MacBook Air.)

Dell Slim Desktop Dell The best Windows 10 desktop replacements Dell Slim
desktop

If you're just looking for a basic desktop replacement, it's hard to go wrong
with the Dell Slim. While we haven't reviewed this specific model, the specs
on even the entry-level configuration have all of the power you need for
basic computing, despite housing everything in a frame that's notably smaller
than older tower PCs. And if you need a bit more performance, consider the
slightly more expensive Dell Pro, which can squeeze in up to 32GB of RAM and
a handful of dedicated graphics cards.

Apple Mac Mini

Apple's Mac mini is one of the most powerful mini-desktops around, it's
adorably small and it starts at just $599 (look for the frequent sales that
drop the price by as much as $100). Just as I argued above for the MacBook
Air, it's worth considering the jump to MacOS simply because Apple's hardware
is so impressive now. And don't worry, you can connect any monitor to it, and
you won't have to replace your existing PC keyboard and mouse.

Geekom A6 Mini

While I haven't tested the Geekom A6 Mini yet, it's widely considered one of
the best Windows mini-desktops around $400 to $500. The A6 Mini features a
very capable AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor with a bit of gaming power, 16GB of
RAM and a 512GB SSD. You honestly don't need much more for basic productivity
work.

Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to upgrade to a new computer if my
current Windows 10 PC still works fine for me?

Your computer will still continue to run after Microsoft ends support for
Windows 10 on October 14, but thatΓÇÖs not a wise longterm strategy. The free
Extended Security Updates will buy you another year, but that's effectively a
limited life support: After that, Windows 10 PCs wonΓÇÖt receive security
updates or any sort of improvements, so theyΓÇÖll be vulnerable to hacking
and malware. And if youΓÇÖve still got an old Windows 10 machine, thereΓÇÖs a
good chance that its components may wear out soon. If you choose to continue
using a Windows 10 PC, be sure to back up your important data and try not to
rely on it for critical tasks.

Can a Mac run native Windows software?

Virtualization software like VMWare and Parallels can let you run Windows
apps inside of macOS, but be aware that also involves buying a copy of
Windows and dedicating a large chunk of disk space for it. These days, most
major apps are available across both platforms, so be sure to check if
thereΓÇÖs a Mac version of your favorite Windows app.

Can a Chromebook or iPad replace a Windows 10 PC?

Chromebooks and iPads both have very specific purposes: Chromebooks are great
budget-friendly machines for accessing the web and running online apps. iPads
are a handy way to upgrade your mobile internet experiences, since their
large screens are better for browsing the web, running apps and watching
media. But neither are ideal replacements for a Windows 10 PC, which can
access the full breadth of Windows software in addition to the web. If either
one works for you, great; but we think the options listed above are better
full-service PC replacements.

I have a ton of PC games. What's my best upgrade option?

ItΓÇÖs easy to find a decent gaming desktop from a reliable computer maker
these days, just make sure youΓÇÖre equipped with at least 32GB of RAM (new
titles can be pretty memory intensive), and an NVIDIA RTX 40-series or AMD
Radeon RX 9000-series GPU.

As for CPUs, IΓÇÖd recommend sticking with IntelΓÇÖs 13th-gen chips or
AMDΓÇÖs Ryzen 8000-series processors at a minimum. DonΓÇÖt count out gaming
laptops either, as theyΓÇÖve come a long way over the last decade. ItΓÇÖs not
hard to find a gaming notebook thatΓÇÖs powerful, portable and useful for
multimedia and productivity work as well..

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